AGM - Firewall Operational Manager

Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is India’s leading telecom service provider. The Company provides pan India Voice and Data services across 2G, 3G and 4G platform. With the large spectrum portfolio to support the growing demand for data and voice, the company is committed to deliver delightful customer experiences and contribute towards creating a truly ‘Digital India’ by enabling millions of citizens to connect and build a better tomorrow. The Company is developing infrastructure to introduce newer and smarter technologies, making both retail and enterprise customers future ready with innovative offerings, conveniently accessible through an ecosystem of digital channels as well as extensive on-ground presence. The Company is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer. At VIL, we know that diversity makes us stronger. We are committed to a collaborative, inclusive environment that encourages authenticity and fosters a sense of belonging. We strive for everyone to feel valued, connected and empowered to reach their potential and contribute their best.

VIL's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our Values of Passion, Boldness, Trust, Speed and Digital. Consequently, our recruiting efforts are directed towards attracting and retaining best and brightest talents. Our endeavour is to be First Choice for prospective employees.

VIL ensures equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, colour, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

VIL is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce.

Job Description: Firewall Operations Manager

Level: M2

Position: AGM

Role Overview

The Firewall Operations Manager will be responsible for driving operational excellence, governance, and growth of ILD A2P services. This role focuses on managing messaging traffic, ensuring platform integrity, preventing spam and misuse, and enabling secure, scalable, and high-quality communication for telco and CPaaS partners.

The incumbent will establish robust operational processes, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, and contribute to revenue growth through effective operations and continuous innovation.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Excellence & Governance

• Enhance operational management by adopting industry best practices and driving continuous improvements.
• Ensure operational processes contribute to revenue growth and efficiency.

2. Traffic Management & Quality Control

• Monitor and manage A2P/P2P SMS traffic, including firewall rule configuration.
• Implement new rules and algorithms for effective traffic filtering.
• Detect and block grey route leakages (international and commercial communications).
• Conduct traffic analysis and generate regular reports for management and partners.
• Ensure partner tickets are resolved within defined SLAs (within 60 minutes).
• Review partner intelligence testing reports and take corrective actions.
• Identify new ILD leakage patterns and collaborate with partners to develop AI/ML-based solutions.
• Define and implement rules to detect and block UCC from UTM routes.

3. Operations & Stakeholder Coordination

• Provide 24x7 operational support as required by the business.
• Coordinate with Circle Technology teams to resolve POI congestion issues.
• Collaborate with regulatory teams and provide information to lawful agencies as required.
• Execute actions based on lawful requests related to entities, headers, or templates.

4. Revenue & Partner Management

• Track ILD revenue from ILD Hub.
• Onboard new aggregators on ILD Hub, including billing configuration.
• Evaluate new partners for intelligence testing (ILD SMS & Flash Calls).

5. Product & Innovation Inputs

• Translate operational insights into product requirements.
• Define feature-level requirements and collaborate with Technology/IT teams.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with internal teams (FMS, Regulatory, Technology) and external partners.
• Engage with telecom operators and regulatory bodies to stay aligned with evolving regulations.
• Build consensus on ILD classification for various brands.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong operational management and leadership experience.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage end-to-end product operations.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple escalations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Confidence in presenting to clients and partners.

Qualification & Experience

• Graduate from a recognized university.
• MBA is an added advantage.
• 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Knowledge of A2P messaging, Firewall systems, and RBM/RCS.
• Understanding of TRAI TCCCPR 2018 regulations.

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

• Adoption of regulatory, market, and technology trends.
• Customer satisfaction (CSAT) and problem resolution.
• Management of internal and external stakeholders.
• End-to-end operational excellence.
• Collaboration with technology partners and vendors.
• Vendor relationship management.

Vodafone Idea Limited (formerly Idea Cellular Limited)
An Aditya Birla Group & Vodafone partnership